Crisis Core: Interlude
by oblivion7
Summary: Something happened to Sephiroth after the holo-room practice with Angeal & Genesys that caused the line between hero and villain to become blurred-and why the step across eventually became so seductive…


Rating: T

Cast: Sephiroth, Genesys, Angeal, Zack

Summary: Something happened to Sephiroth after the holo-room practice with Angeal & Genesys that caused the line between hero and villain to become blurred-and why the step across eventually became so seductive…

* * *

Shirtless with long plaited hair gleaming in the morning sun, his skin aglow with health and power—and not a drop of sweat to show his efforts—he was as inhuman in his movements as the training drones that surrounded him. Genesys could almost admire him except for one fact: Sephiroth never lost. No matter how long the battle exercise, or how many came against him, neither weather nor time of day nor distractions could bring about his defeat.

Pacing away from the view, he whirled in anger as the door opened. Angeal and Master Tien were talking and laughing as they entered but became abruptly silent when they caught the climate of Genesys' complexion. Eyes blazing, hair the deep color of fresh blood in response to his cyclonic mental state, there could be no doubt about the cause of his temper.

Master Tien sighed, seating himself on the edge of a table. "Again?" he asked with a slight smile as he tried to keep his tone light. He was well aware that the hair trigger of Genesys' dangerous mind was, at this moment, close to the edge—and he had no desire to be on the receiving end of that result. "Surely you have grown beyond this petty jealousy."

"Petty?" Genesys snarled, though his voice remained soft. "Never, since you put it that way!" He turned back to the window. "Someone tell me just why he's always the best, always undefeated, always untouched…I don't even recall that he's ever had so much as a scratch! And look..." he motioned toward the carnage below. "They can't even come up with enough 'bots to stop him, much less real soldiers!" He faced Master Tien, tipping his head questioningly. "Why is that? Why only Sephiroth?"

Tien frowned, having quietly wondered the same over the years. But he knew better than to fan the flames of trouble between the two; there were enough problems to solve without the best they had going at each other—and especially with Genesys in the mindset for mayhem.

"I can't answer that," Tien responded. "Except perhaps that though he's slightly younger his early training started in a different direction…"

"That wouldn't explain it," Genesys seethed, stepping closer.

"Two tank years can make all the difference in this business," Angeal offered, hoping to cool the room. "Who knows how the extra time in isolation adjusted him?"

Genesys scoffed but fell silent for several moments. Then his face brightened, which was never the most encouraging of sights.

"I have an idea," he offered. "How about a training exercise with all three of us? Him against the two of us; he hasn't faced both of us in quite a while, so maybe he'll have a tough time with that."

Stroking his chin, Tien started to nod in agreement, then stopped. "I can't allow you three to get seriously injured," he said finally. "Front will have my neck."

"Oh, come on," Genesys said, his eyes gleaming. "How bad could it be? It's not as if we'd kill each other."

Tien gave him a long, hard look. I wouldn't put it past you," he growled. "But you may be right; Sephiroth does need a taste of humility." He rose to leave. "Do as you please," he said over his shoulder. "Just hope it doesn't turn on you."

Angeal grabbed Genesys by the arm after the master trainer closed the door. "Are you out of your mind?" he demanded. "There's a reason Sephiroth is the best at what he does!"

Genesys shrugged Angeal off, tossing his hair from his eyes. "You heard Tien. A few cuts and bruises would do him good."

"Think about it, though! When have you ever seen him injured? Even a little?"

Genesys rolled his eyes impatiently. "So what? All he'd need to do is what we all do: get an extra fix between normal injections. What of it?"

"That's what I mean," Angeal said worriedly, running his fingers thru his thick mane. "When was the last time you've known him to get injected?"

Genesys paused to think, then shook his head. "I don't know," he replied irritably. "I just keep track of my own. I don't worry about his. What's your point?"

Angeal's thick brows knitted with deeper concern. "He hasn't had one in over two years."

Genesys' eyes narrowed. "How would you know?" he scoffed. "Besides, that's impossible. Even he can't live without the energy hit for more than a few days."

"That IS my point! Genesys...what if Sephiroth doesn't need the mako energy anymore? What if he's found an alternate source to live off? What if he can heal himself and live without it? Or…if he can't ever be injured at all?"

Genesys walked over to the window, where the smooth tireless body was still at work. If he didn't stop soon, the courtyard would be so full of the debris of his destructive wake there would be no path available to easily walk out.

"Do you have any idea what that would mean?" Angeal continued. "His fluids...could render him..."

"...Invincible," Genesys finished, and gave a cold smile. If Angeal was right-if indeed Sephiroth had a way to live without their inborn weakness-his plan was more important now than before.

* * *

Sephiroth gazed at Tien with eyes of hurt curiosity as he watched Genesys limp away under Angeal's arm, the thick dark fluid leaking from the wound calling into question the poem's line "…Nothing shall forestall my return…". Tien patted his shoulder to comfort him as he disengaged the holo room, the images fading to darkness.

"Likely it's best that Angeal be the one that goes with him," he said, nodding toward the med-lab. "Besides, he has the closest blood and tissue match to repair his wounds."

Sephiroth frowned slightly. "How is that possible?" he asked, focusing his riveting gaze on Tien. "We're told that we're all from the same origins…aren't we?"

The answer was slow coming. "Not exactly," Master Tien seemed to weigh his words carefully. "You know you're slightly younger than the rest and…well, I'm no scientist or doctor, but from what I've been told, your development was…slightly different. It may be due to your parentage, or something else, I don't know. I do understand that if he was to get a tissue sample of yours, it could cause more damage than what he already has."

Sephiroth continued to look fixedly at him, saying nothing.

"Don't worry," Tien tried to assure him and hoping not to shudder at that rigid gaze. "If this doesn't help him, I'm sure they'll come knocking at your door. Give it time; he be ok in short order."

Unblinking, Sephiroth nodded, watching him go into the med-lab. He stood motionless for a several moments, his mind racing, his emotions beginning to flare.

More than anything else, he hated when someone lied to him.

* * *

He turned and quietly drifted to his quarters, his thoughts distracted enough not to notice that his room had a visitor. Without using the lights, he knew who it was, and his mood was immediately lifted by her presence.

"You look troubled," Saade said in a concerned tone. "What happened? I thought it was just a routine workout."

He shrugged his weapon off and hung it against the door, not surprised that she—and likely everyone—knew so soon about the session and its outcome. That she could sense his disturbance spoke to how close the two of them had become, and he found himself grateful to have at least one person in whom he could confide.

He sat cross-legged on the floor next to the bed for several minutes, his face impassive but his thoughts still racing. She reached over to tame a single wild hair that had fallen across his eye; otherwise she quietly waited for him to collect himself. He slowly began to unbuckle his uniform, rising only to let it fall to the floor, then re-seating himself to resume his reverie.

Eventually the sharp green eyes drifted over to her, a strength quietly emanating support and concern. He gave her a genuine smile, leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"Thanks," he said softly.

She tipped her head, curious. "For what?"

"Being here. Being you."

He slipped under the covers and nestled beside her as the streaks of moonlight gradually disappeared, leaving only an infinite canvas sprinkled with stars. The sheets were cool and damp as they relaxed against each other quietly; even their breathing seemed carefully measured. Sephiroth noted, however, that Saade had not fallen asleep but seemed uncharacteristically tense. He turned toward her and allowed his hair to fall across her back, a shimmering drape of silver lace that graced her olive complexion. He purposefully let his fingers slide lightly against her shoulder, smiling to himself as she gave a shiver of delight.

"Now it's you who seem troubled," he whispered, the soft thunder of his voice tickling her ears.

She said nothing at first, only rolled onto her back to stare into the black depths of the ceiling. Drawing a breath, she spoke without looking at him.

"Have you ever considered…" she hesitated, as though unsure if she should speak her mind—but then, she knew it was already too late. "…what would happen if Shinra knew about…us?

Sephiroth tipped his head slightly, confused. He said nothing, but he slowly analyzed the weight of her thoughts: attachment—casual or otherwise-between elite soldiers was forbidden, period. Unless the corporation arranged it directly, the members of the higher ranks in particular were not allowed to have the very relationship he enjoyed so much with Saade.

Something had to have triggered this, so he waited for her to continue.

"You know they usually give me guard duty around the labs," she went on. "Mainly because they think I don't understand or have interest in what goes on inside." She gave a short laugh. "I like that—and I've learned a lot from it. But this time…it involves us."

She paused to gather her thoughts, then turned away again. "Two of the techs were talking about an argument between Prof. Hojo, another researcher, and Master Tien. It was regarding what to do about…your special DNA."

The hair along Sephiroth's neck stiffened, the electric tingle of danger instantly alerting every cell in his body: this might explain the refusal of his offer to aid Genesys. But he made neither move nor sound as he waited for her to tell more.

"It seems," she continued, unable to keep the bitterness from her voice, "that they will go to any lengths to prevent your genes from being controlled in any way by you. They know of more than a few females who are attracted to you…"

Sephiroth couldn't help but be amused, as there had been several who made their interest very plain despite regulations. It was even more rigid for those and who were heavily mako-dependent, since their genetic structure was still known to be unpredictable.

He let a finger tease the base of her spine, enjoying the sight of her arched back and soft sigh. She recovered by facing him, becoming serious again.

"In other words," Saade went on, her voice worried. "no accidental pregnancies, no sharing your fluids with an injured comrade, no skin transplants or grafts, even your hair is to be monitored—" she gave him a grin as she brushed the wayward strands from his face. "Though how they'll manage that I'd love to see!"

He forced a smile back, but inside felt himself seething. "Did they say what would happen if any of these 'accidents' occurred?"

She sighed. "Only that on seeing the effects and failures of the experimental clones, they'll do whatever it takes to prevent any copies of you and others who are at the highest security level from 'going rogue', as they put it."

He ran his fingers along her shoulder. "If the worst were to happen…"

She started to speak but he put a finger to her lips. Falling into the depths of those eyes yet again—one the dark gray of winter, the other the rich blue of summer—he drew her close, he wrapping himself around her as he whispered:

"Leave this to me. I will make sure we stay safe—even if it means I take Shinra down by myself."

Yet no sooner had the words escaped his lips than Sephiroth felt a soft, sad inner voice brush against his mind:

 _Oh but my sweet soul-jer…you are already too late…_

* * *

With a heavy sigh, Master Tien gave up trying to coax sleep to him. He finally made his way to the meditation mat in front of the window and positioned himself to quiet his mind. Yet try as he might, the feeling would not leave him. Lately there was no solace to be found anywhere, neither in the quiet silence of deep thought nor in the heavy sounds and sweat of battle training.

This had been with him since he informed Sephiroth and the others first of Genesys' abdication of duty, worse after announcing the deaths from destruction of three well-secured areas.

He was surprised that Sephiroth had no reaction to any of the news; in fact, it seemed he had expected it. While he and Genesys had been rivals, they were still close partners as well as comrades in arms and the others had been disappointed to learn of his departure. More, Tien had wondered if the death of certain other soldiers might have produced a visible effect—one or two who he thought Sephiroth had particularly favored. But the face had remained unchanged, impassive, as if the news came as no surprise.

At least until yesterday.

Tien had more than once tried to warn the Shinra minds that the elite corps was on the verge of collapse. However, even Dr. Hojo—rumored to be Sephiroth's sire—dismissed it as youthful restlessness, that no matter what happened they would always return to their roots since they depended on the mako energy for their very survival. Tien had seen the anguish of Angeal as he watched people suffering at the whim of the corporation, the jealousy and frustration of Genesys at the favoritism toward Sephiroth—who was, after all, the superior soldier—and the disaffection of others who gradually drifted away, seeking an alternative to the addictive source that kept them alive.

The suits and scientists had listened with amused patience, reassuring him that Angeal leaving was likely due to a misunderstanding and Genesys would eventually return of his own accord. Yet months had passed with only word of failed clones and copies, all of which told Tien that they were trying to find their own solution to the mako problem—as well as creating enemies that even the best trained cadets were struggling to defeat. Tien finally surrendered to their stubborn blindness, knowing that at least their best was still within control.

When he summoned Sephiroth to have him get a new assignment, he gazed for the first time into those rich green eyes and was alarmed. No longer sparkling like eager stars, they resembled burned out emeralds, stones that still held crystalline beauty—but only on the outside. Daring to look deeper, he caught a brief glimpse of what he most feared: Sephiroth was now an empty vessel, devoid of whatever feelings he may have once held. What loss had brought it about he was unsure; it could have been the desertion of his only friends, or one of the young women killed in any of the explosions. The cause didn't matter. The result, however, filled him with a dread he was unable to put into words.

More frightening was Sephiroth's response to the summons by the front office. His gaze unwavering, he stepped toward Tien and gave a deep bow of respect.

"I thank you, Master Tien, for all you have taught me. There is but one more lesson I must learn—and I am grateful that you have made it possible."

When he turned smartly on his heel and glided smoothly away, Tien wanted to scream for him to stop…

* * *

Zack waited in the meeting room, idly tossing a coin and whistling to himself. Last night's delightful dinner with Aerith was still on his mind; gazing into her beautiful eyes, he could have been eating shoe leather for all he cared, so long as sat near her, listening to her talk about the freedom of growing flowers and compared to the headache of research budgets. He had no idea what she was talking about of course, but every moment spent in her company was a treat he valued almost more than the sword gifted to him by Angeal.

He was startled to alertness when he felt Sephiroth's presence near him. The silver commander could move more silently than dust despite heavy boots and unique appearance. Zack swallowed as he felt the unwavering gaze engulf him, all serious business as usual.

"We have new orders," came the deep voice. "New copies have been sighted in various places, and we are to investigate."

"Genesys?" Zack asked weakly, disappointed. He had liked the soldier who had been second only to Sephiroth; even though he could be cruel and ruthless, he had taught Zack many tricks that had helped on more than one occasion.

Sephiroth nodded. "Angeal as well, though not as many." Sephiroth turned away, as if thinking; Zack felt a touch of anguish for him now that he was the last of the best. But when he turned back, he looked into the man's eyes…

…and for the first time in his life, he knew the true meaning of fear…

"Assemble your team," Sephiroth said smoothly, the fixed look never wavering. "We'll leave in two hours."

"Are…we going to…" Zack faltered, his heart pounding as if he were about to be attacked, glancing furtively from the impassive face to the glowing sword at Sephiroth's back, a weapon that seemed to gleam with a life and mind of its own.

"We have orders," repeated the cold response. "I'll tell you more when we are ready."

Zack gave a relieved salute and turned to leave, trying not to hurry but wanting to escape that disturbing aura as quickly as his legs would carry him. He practically slammed into a surprised Cloud as he ran around a second corner, the two of them catching each other for balance. Finding his breath, Zack managed a laugh as the two old friends playfully slapped arms.

"Glad I don't have to look for you!" Zack grinned, tousling Cloud's already unruly hair. "We've got work waiting for us!"

Cloud's eyes sparkled. "Really?" he practically danced. "Do I get to…I mean..will he…?"

Zack nodded and stepped back, beaming at the youth he thought of as a younger brother. "Yes, kid, Sephiroth will be there. You'll actually get to be next to him, so no drooling all over his coat! No telling what he might do, knowing how picky he can be about his appearance!"

"No—of course not! I mean, I know how to act…"

Zack laughed again. "C'mon," he said slapping Cloud on the back. "Let's get everyone else and not keep the boss waiting."

The small band stood at attention with Zack off to the side, keeping them in line. Most were still in awe of Sephiroth; though they struggled to listen to the short purpose of their excursion, all eyes were fixed on the smooth feline movements, the gleam of his insignias and light armor, but mostly the sword—one of the few with its own name, and according to some, its own personality. It seemed dormant now, almost dull, yet there was an energy still palpable so that each of them had the uncomfortable feeling it was sizing them up to insure they were ready for the task at hand.

"As you know," Sephiroth's voice commanded their minds back to reality. "we've been instructed to investigate the problem with the reactor."

Zack gave a slight frown; something about the way it was said indicated there was a change. "Sir?" he asked hesitantly. "We…I mean, that's the call…so isn't that what we're doing? Where are we going?"

He swallowed hard, seeing again that dark emptiness behind the green eyes. He sensed that something was about to go very wrong…

Sephiroth turned smartly on his heel to avoid looking at the group coming with him. Tightening his jaw, he forced himself to remain calm:

"We're going to Niebelheim."


End file.
